


I'll be back tomorrow

by LonelyAngel



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Bisexual Josh Dun, But Also Some Angst, Cute, Fantasy, Fluff, Human Josh, Love, M/M, Magic, fairy tyler, forest, i try to put as much fluff in there as possible, josh has some shitty friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-11-10 09:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11124369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyAngel/pseuds/LonelyAngel
Summary: Josh just wants to walk through the forest to get over his girlfriend, now ex-girlfriend, when he meets Tyler. Tyler is super shy and super cute and- he's a freaking fairy. A forest fairy, who has some pretty cool magic skills. Josh falls in love with him and everything seems perfect, but, of course, some shit happens and suddenly, Tyler is gone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand, here's another fic. A fantasy AU this time. I wanted to post the first chapter earlier, but my brain yelled at me to figure the plot out first, so now I know excatly what I want to write. I can't mess things up now... I hope...

Josh was pissed. It was the best word to describe his emotional state, he was really pissed.  
Of course there was a reason why he was angry/sad/upset.

  
The reason was simple: His girlfriend broke up with him. He had been sad and heartbroken at the beginning, but the longer he thought about her, the angrier he got. She didn't even had the guts to tell him personally that it was over, she simply sent him a short text. When Josh asked her why, she simply replied with a "'cause i dont love u anymore, henry is waayyy better than u and i also cheated u like 5 times w/ him".

  
Josh remembered working extra shifts just to buy her this ugly but very expensive pair of shoes she wanted. He was sure she didn't appreciate it. Although Josh had two jobs, both boring as hell, he had barely enough money to pay his rent and so he was really suffering when he worked even longer as usual, always fighting the sleep just to make her happy.

  
He knew he deserved better than her and it was probably better to be done and over with it, but he was still angry. Why did he always end up with a bitch like her? He should stop trying to find "the one" and just enjoy his life as single.

  
He was sure there'd be a girl out there who would fall in love with him. He was in shape after all, good-looking and had a nice personality.

  
He would probably get a hook-up if he'd go to a club. Just a one-night-stand to enjoy his new freedom and to forget his ex-girlfriend...  
But he wasn't in the mood for it right now. He just wanted to curl himself up in his bed and cry and curse himself for being so stupid and trusting her.

  
Josh was angry and upset at the same time. He decided to get rid of his emotions. He grabbed his jacket and left his small apartement. Ohio was always cold and rainy and as soon as Josh stepped outside, it started raining. He cursed under his breath and walked faster. If he could reach the forest within the next few minutes he wouldn't be soaked. He started to run.  
After a mile or so, Josh reached the forest and sighed when the rain got less. Of course it stopped raining right now.

  
He slowed down and walked slowly. Why couldn't he just have a nice girlfriend? Someone who really loved him and appreciated the extra work he was willing to do to make this person happy?

  
Josh wouldn't say he was super smart, he always thought he wasn't dumb but somehow he always ended up being attracted to a good-looking girl with a shitty personality. It always worked the same way: his friends dragged him to a party or a club, he met a girl with big boobs and long legs and he ignored how dumb she was, desperately flirting because he was tired of being single, buying her drinks, driving her home (he always lost his friends on the way - but they didn't really care where he was), asking her out for a date, still ignoring that she was full of herself and falling in love (although he doubted that it was real love, attraction maybe). And after two or three months, she was tired of him, because "you're boring as hell and I deserve better" and boom - he was single again.

  
Josh always wondered why he ended up like this, heartbroken and lonely. Was the concept of living a normal life not right? A life where he tried to fulfill all his girlfriend's whishes, where he worked long to take her out to a fancy restaurant? What did they expect? Luxury, jewelery, expensive clothes? Josh wanted a relationship full of love and respect, where he really cared about the other, not a relationship based on money. But maybe he was just old-fashioned. He often felt like a women's toy, interesting for a few weeks, but soon replaced by another.  
Maybe she's happy with 'Henry', Josh thought bitterly. He felt anger boil up in him. He looked up and saw that the sun was setting. It was getting dark. Josh snorted angrily. He wanted to get rid of his anger by walking through the forest, but OF COURSE it was getting dark before he succeeded. He cursed when he felt a raindrop on his head. Only a few seconds later, it started raining. Josh was so angry, he nearly screamed. He hit the next best tree with his fist and groaned in pain.

  
The trunk left bleeding marks on his knuckles. Josh picked the pieces and splinters of wood from his skin and sucked in a breath when it hurt. He was sure he'd explode from rage any second.

  
Suddenly, he heard something. Josh stopped picking at his hand and listened. It was a quiet noise, but it sounded like...music. Music? In the middle of the forest?

  
He blinked a few times. Yeah, it was music. It was strange, it sounded like a piano and someone singing, Josh was sure he heard a voice but at the same time it sounded like a whole choir. He had never heard music like this before. (A/N: This music is kinda like the songs "Two" by TØP and "Interlude" by MCR)  
Josh couldn't understand the words, but it sounded lonely and it was kinda calming. He noticed how he relaxed, taking deep breaths and his anger and all his other negative emotions disappeared.

  
He sighed and blinked slowly. The music calmed him down.  
Then, after some time, the music stopped. Josh glanced at his watch and gasped when he noticed he had listened to the music almost for an hour.  
His hair was wet and it was freezing. Josh blinked a few times to come back to reality. He was cold, but he felt warm and fuzzy on the inside.

  
It was pretty dark and Josh decided to go home. He didn't even think about his ex-girlfriend anymore, he was calm and happy. The music kept stuck in his head the whole evening and followed him in his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Josh was curious. He wanted to know more about the music he heard a few days ago in the forest. Whenever he tried to remember the melody, he failed, and it drove him crazy. The music had been there, right? He didn't imagine the music. He couldn't imagine something so beautiful.

  
But maybe he was crazy. Maybe this had only been a dream.  
Josh decided to go in the forest again. Last time, he had heard the music after sunset, so it was probably the best time to find the source of the music.

  
He was exhausted from work, but he clearly remembered how good it felt to listen to the music.

  
Why not try to hear it again?  
He locked the door of his apartement, although he knew it was way too easy to destroy the shitty lock and open the door, but he doubted a thief would find something expensive. Then, he walked down the stairs (the elevator was broken since he moved in) and walked outside. He smiled when he noticed it wasn't raining. It was cloudy, but warmer than last time. He glanced at his watch. He had nearly half an hour left until sunset.

  
Josh increased his speed. He couldn't wait to reach the forest. He knew he would be disappointed when he just imagined the music, but he ignored the thought.  
Soon, he walked through the forest, twelve minutes until sunset. Josh started to jog and stopped when he found the place he had been the last time. He waited unpatiently until sunset and sighed in relief when the sun disappeared slowly.

  
Then, it was getting darker and darker and Josh waited, but he didn't hear the music. He only heard some birds and the wind.  
Josh felt disappointment built up in him. It seemed like the music had only been a part of his imagination. He turned and wanted to walk back home when he heard the familiar voice. He stopped abruptly and a smile appeared on his face. The music. It was real.  
Soon, he felt as calm as the last time, but Josh blinked a few times to get rid of it. He had to find the singer (or whatever it was) before the music stopped.

  
He left the way and followed a path for some time, until he turned left and walked straight through the forest.  
It was strange, because he was sure he got closer, but the music didn't get louder. Josh didn't know how long he followed it, until he reached a clearing. It was pretty dark, but Josh could see a light between the trees. A campfire? He stepped closer and peeked through two big trees.

  
Josh blinked a few times. He couldn't believe what he saw.  
On the clearing was a boy. But he was somehow...glowing in the dark and illuminated a big part of the clearing. He was singing and dancing around. He wore a flower crown, a floral kimono and black shorts. Josh noticed that this music came from the boy's mouth. The boy turned and Josh saw his wonderful dark brown eyes. He was stunned, he had never seen something so beautiful in his life.

  
The boy didn't notice Josh, he kept singing and dancing around in the dark, glowing in a golden light from the inside.

  
Josh was fascinated by his voice, the way he moved, the way his...light...made him seem like a character from a fairytale. Josh shook his head to see if he was dreaming, but the boy was still there. Josh cleared his throat.  
The boy jumped and turned. Josh saw the horror on the boy's face when he saw Josh and then he snapped with his fingers and -holy shit- disappeared and left the Josh in the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Josh blinked a few times. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, but the boy and the light was gone.  
Josh was confused. He was convinced that there wasn't such things like magicians, witches, fairys and other mythical creatures. But the boy had been there!  
Josh cleared his throat. "Hello?" he whispered, but the boy didn't return. Josh felt ridiculous, standing in the forest and calling for a mysterious boy to reappear.  
He waited for almost twenty minutes, but neither the boy nor the music returned.  
Josh shook his head and stumbled back home.  
  
Josh woke up late. He cursed under his breath and hurried to get to work. Luckily, he was only a few minutes late and his boss didn't care about it.  
While Josh worked, he thought about the glowing boy. At night, he had been sure that he was real, but now, Josh wasn't so sure anymore. What if it was a dream?  
Josh decided to forget about him.  
He glanced at his watch, eager to go home and relax. The last hour seemed like an eternity. Josh rushed to his car as soon as he could go home. He checked his phone and saw that he had one unread message. His friend Sam texted him.  
  
Sam:  
hey josh, wanna hang out with us tonight?  
  
Josh:  
Where?  
  
Sam:  
At Spencer's, 7pm, we're gonna order some food. fred and jasper are going to join us  
  
Josh:  
I'll be there  
  
Sam:  
Alright, see u  
  
Josh sighed. Maybe hanging out with his friends was the right thing right now. He needed some distraction. He had been friends with them since a few months when he met Sam through work, until Sam quit his job to work somewhere else. Josh got also friends with Jasper and and Spencer. He didn't like the latter that much, he was okay though and Josh didn't mind hanging out with them. He liked Sam the most, the blond boy had always been nice to him.  
Josh watched some tv, too lazy to do something else and drove to Spencer's at 7pm.  
Spencer opened the door with a beer in his hand.  
"Ah, Josh, welcome, welcome, come in." he said dramatically and bowed to him. Josh smiled uncomfortable. Some beer spilled on Josh's shirt when Spencer pulled him inside almost roughly. Josh followed him into the living room and coughed when he entered the smoke filled room. Fred greeted him, a cigarette in his mouth and a cup of beer in his hands. Jasper just waved at him briefly and focused back on a sports channel on the tv.  
Sam patted on the couch next to him and Josh sat down. Sam smiled at him and offered him a cigarette. Josh shook his head and suppressed a cough when he took a deep breath.  
Spencer handed Josh a cup of beer. Josh sighed. Great. He would probably have a hungover tomorrow and smell like a chainsmoker.  
Spencer and Fred talked about some hot chicks they met a few days ago and Josh zooned out.  
Jasper cursed loudly when his team lost a point.  
"What about you?" Spencer asked.  
Josh snapped out of his trance. "What?"  
Spencer laughed loudly.  
"I asked you if you have a girl?"  
Josh shook his head. "No, not right now, you know I'm-"  
Spencer nodded and waved his hand annoyed. "Yeah, I forgot you're a faggot."  
"Spencer!" Sam hissed. "Don't be rude!"  
"Just tell me if you don't tolerate my sexuality." Josh said angrily. "You don't have to pretend. And, I'm bisexual, not homosexual."  
Spencer rolled his eyes. "Calm down, I wouldn't hang out with you if I would mind."  
"Good." Josh said simply and crossed his arms.  
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Sam stood up. "I need to go outside. Do you want to join me?"  
Josh nodded and got up. They walked to the balcony. Sam stepped outside and Josh followed him.  
His friend lit himself a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Spencer is an asshole."  
Josh shrugged. "I know. He's a dick, but I'm used to it."  
The blond smiled at him. "Just ignores his rude remarks."  
Josh smiled back. "Yeah."  
Sam released a deep breath, filling the air around him with smoke. "You seem pretty distant today. What's wrong?'  
Josh sighed. "Do you think mythical creatures exist?"  
Sam laughed. "No, not really. Why? Did you see a unicorn?"  
Josh shrugged. "No, but..."  
"What?" Sam asked.  
"Nothing." Josh ran a hand through his hair. "I should go home now. I have work tomorrow." Sam nodded. "I should go, too." They said bye to the others and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Josh dreamt about the forest. He stood on the clearing, it was sunset. Josh turned slowly. He thought he was alone, but then, he saw a figure behind a tree. It was the boy. He stepped on the clearing and walked to Josh. He stopped in front of him and smiled. Josh saw his beautiful brown eyes and smiled back. He raised his hand to touch the boy, but suddenly, he was gone and Josh was alone.  
  
Josh thought about the dream the whole day. He decided to try to find the boy one last time.  
Luckily, the sun was shining and it didn't rain. Josh walked quickly to the clearing and reached it at sunset. He decided to hide, so he climbed on a tree and sat down on a big limp. He watched the sun set impatiently. Finally, the sun was gone.  
Josh was nervous. What if the boy didn't appear? And what if he did?  
He didn't have the time to think about it, because he saw a light between the trees. The boy stepped on the clearing. He was wearing the same outfit, even the flower crown was there and he was glowing in the dark.  
Josh watched him when he sat down on the ground, legs crossed and running his fingers through the grass. The boy whistled a short melody and cleared his throat afterwards. Then, he started to sing.  
Josh listened to his beautiful voice, which sounded like music from another planet. He was fascinated by the boy, the melody he sang and the way he glowed in the dark.  
Josh didn't know how much time passed when the boy stopped singing. He stood up and turned to leave the clearing.  
"Wait!" Josh cried out. The boy jumped and tried to find the spot where the voice came from. Josh climbed down quickly and stumbled on the clearing. The boy stared at him wide-eyed, fear written all over his face and backed away. He hid behind a tree, but his light in the darkness showed Josh that he was still there.  
Josh stopped in the middle of the clearing. He took a deep breath. "Listen, I didn't want to scare you. You don't have to be afraid, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to talk to you."  
The boy peeked from behind the tree. Josh saw his big, brown eyes. He noticed that the boy was shaking. He must be terribly afraid.  
Josh raised his hand to show that he was no threat. "Please, don't hide. Just talk to me."  
He took a step forward, but the boy stumbled backwards. Josh stopped immediatly. The boy acted like a shy animal and Josh was sure it was best to ignore him. The boy was scared, but probably curious, because he was still there.  
Josh decided to lie down. The grass was a bit wet, but he didn't care. The moon was bright and illuminated the clearing. Josh lied down and closed his eyes.  
He almost fell asleep when he heard footsteps. The boy seemed to approach him carefully, but Josh kept his eyes closed.  The boy stopped next to him.  
Suddenly, Josh felt a hand on his chest. It was a careful touch, he could barely feel it. Josh forced himself to breathe deeply, although he wanted to open his eyes so bad. The hand disappeared, but after a few seconds, he felt the boy tugging carefully at his hair.  
Josh opened his eyes and the boy jumped back when he catched his gaze. Josh held his breath and didn't move. The boy hesitated, but didn't run away. He eyed Josh from a safe distance, nervously fumbling with his fingers.  
After a few minutes, he stepped closer, always ready to run, and tried to touch Josh's hair again. Josh watched him, but didn't move. The boy walked closer and stopped next do Josh. He knelt down and ran his fingers through the pink hair. Josh hummed and the boy looked at him with curiousity in his eyes. Josh smiled. The boy avoided his gaze and sat down next to him with a sigh. He played with Josh's hair, grabbed the curls and twisted them around his fingers.  
Josh thought it was adorable. He closed his eyes again. He was really tired and fell asleep quickly, the soft touch of the boy lulling him into sleep.  
  
When Josh woke up, the boy had stopped running his hands through his hair. He still sat next to him, hands folded in his lap, flower crown crooked on his head. His light was dim and it made his eyes look bigger than they were. Josh sat up slowly. The boy flinched when Josh moved, but he relaxed, when Josh made no attempt to hurt him. Josh rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky. The moon had moved a little bit and Josh could tell he hadn't slept long.  
He sighed and felt way more awake than before. The boy watched him attentively,  but  he didn't seem so scared anymore.  
Josh cleared his throat. "Don't be afraid." he whispered.  
The boy didn't respond and Josh couldn't tell if he understood him. Maybe he couldn't speak english?  
"I'm Josh. What's your name?"  
The boy looked blankly at him. Josh bit his lip. Maybe he couldn't talk at all?  
The boy shifted slightly. Josh decided to ask him another question. "Do you live in the forest?"  
The boy hesitated and nodded. Josh sighed in relief. Apparently, he understood Josh.  
The boy opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but closed it after a few seconds. Josh smiled at him. "You can trust me."  
The boy didn't look very convinced, but then, he talked. "Tyler." he said quietly.  
"Your name is Tyler?"  
The boy nodded.  
Josh smiled and held his hand out for Tyler to shake.  
The boy flinched. "Don't touch me." he whispered.  
"Okay." Josh took a deep breath. He looked at the stars. "I heard you singing. It was beautiful. You have a wonderful voice."  
Tyler blushed. Josh hid a smile when he saw it.  
"Thank you." The boy said quietly. "Noone ever said something so nice to me."  
"What about your friends?" Josh asked, because when Tyler existed why shouldn't there be more of his kind of species?  
Tyler hung his head. "I don't have friends." he answered sadly.  
Josh felt sorry for him. "I can be your friend." he offered. It was not only to make Tyler feel better, he really wanted to get to know him more.  
The boy looked at him surprised. "Really?"  
Josh nodded. "Of course."  
Tyler beamed with joy. "I never had a friend before." All his shyness seemed to disappear slowly.  
Josh smiled when he saw how happy the other was. Suddenly, Tyler jumped up and ran away. He picked something up from the ground and walked back to Josh. In his hands, he held a second flower crown.  
"For you." he said with a timid smile.  
Josh took the flower crown carefully and placed it on his head. "Thank you, Tyler." He stood up and raised his arm. Tyler got scared and froze in his movement, eyes wide with fear. Carefully, Josh straightened Tyler's flower crown. "Fixed it." he mumbled. Tyler relaxed when Josh took a step back and sat down again. He took place a few feet away.  
Josh furrowed his brows. "Tyler...what are you?"  
"What do you mean?" Tyler asked confused.  
Josh pointed at his glowing skin. "Are you...human?"  
Tyler shook his head. "No, I'm not human. I'm a fairy, a forest fairy."  
"A...a...forest...fairy!?" Josh stuttered.  
Tyler nodded. "Yes, I live in the forest and I sing to make the trees and the other plants grow."  
Josh shook his head in confusion. "A fairy...my new friend is a freaking fairy..."  
"Is that bad?" Tyler asked. He seemed insecure.  
Josh laughed. "No, of course not. I just never believed in fairys, but you're... real."  
Tyler scratched his arm. "Yeah, that's the reason why I hide usually. I don't know what the humans would do to me if they saw me."  
"You don't have to be scared." Josh said softly. "I will never hurt you."  
Tyler released a breath. "Good."  
Josh stood up.  
"Where are you going?" Tyler asked.  
Josh smiled at him. "It's late and I have to get some sleep before I go to work."  
"You're leaving me?" Tyler asked, slight panic in his voice.  
Josh shook his head. "No, only for today. I will be back tomorrow evening, okay?"  
Tyler sighed in relief. "Okay."  
Josh winked at him. "See you tomorrow."  
Tyler smiled back. "Sleep well, fren."  
Josh waved at him and walked back home. Before he went to bed, he placed the flower crown on his nightstand, a reminder that Tyler was real.


	5. Chapter 5

Josh was very unconcentrated the next day. He was nervous and couldn't wait to see Tyler again. He just needed to see him again, just to be proved that he was real.  
Josh wouldn't believe he was a fairy, but Tyler was in his head all day long, and he was sure he couldn't imagine something so beautiful.  
Finally, it was evening and time for Josh to go on the walk through the forest. He switched from walking to running, because he was so excited. He entered the clearing before sunset and sat down on the grass, waiting impatiently. The sun needed an eternity to disappear and just when the last light was gone, Josh heard a quiet woosh and Tyler fell from the sky. He appeared a few feet up in the air and jumped to the ground. Josh blinked dumbfounded.  
Tyler smiled at him and fixed his clothes.  
"How did you do that?!" Josh stammered. Tyler furrowed his brows in confusion. "What?"  
"How...how do you appear like that?"  
Tyler shrugged. "I'm a fairy."  
Josh chuckled. "I'm aware of that, just, it's not normal."  
"Honestly, I don't know. It's some kind of fairy magic I think?" Tyler said with a shrug.  
Josh stared at him. "You can perform magic?"  
"I can do some magic stuff." Tyler corrected.  
"That's sick, dude." Josh grinned.  
Tyler shrugged again. "No big deal. I don't use it very often."  
"That's awesome! What else can you do?"  
Tyler blushed. "Not much actually. Wait a second."  
He whispered something and a pink rose grew in his hands. He handed Josh the rose. It was the exact shade of Josh's hair. "For you." he whispered shyly.  
Josh blushed. "Thank you, Tyler. That's so sweet of you. It's a wonderful rose."  
Tyler smiled and looked at the ground, trying to hide how much he loved the praise.  
He sat down next to Josh and played with his own hair. "Josh...how is it outside the forest?" he asked.  
Josh stared at him. "You've never left the forest?"  
Tyler shook his head. "No."  
"Why?"  
Tyler sighed. "I'm just afraid of the humans. And, I can't use my magic when I leave the forest."  
"Oh, really?" Josh asked in surprise. "Why?"  
"I'm a forest fairy. The forest is my home. I need the forest to use my magic. I don't know why it doesn't work outside the forest."  
"And you never want to see the real world?"  
Tyler nodded. "I do. But I can't."  
Josh sighed and nodded sadly. "Alright. I will keep on visiting you in the forest."  
Tyler smiled and lied down. "C'mon, Josh, let's watch the stars."


	6. Chapter 6

It was the moment Josh couldn't wait for the whole day. Whenever he thought about Tyler, a smile spread on his face. He was happy, happier than he had been before and he was so in love.  
Josh was early today. He reached the clearing before sunset. Of course, Tyler was nowhere to be seen. Josh ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to wait until sunset. Who said Tyler could only appear when the sun was gone?  
He started to whisper Tyler's name. He didn't expect him to show up, so he was confused when he heard footsteps. Tyler walked across the clearing and hugged Josh. Josh was surprised by the sudden physical contact, but after a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Tyler's thin body. Tyler buried his head in the crook of Josh's neck.   
"I missed you, Josh." he mumbled.  
Josh sighed happily. "I missed you, too."  
After a long minute, he pulled away and looked at Tyler. "Why are you already here?" he asked.  
Tyler shrugged. "You called my name."  
Josh noticed that Tyler skin was glowing softly, barely visible in the golden light of the sun.   
"Let's sit down." Tyler said and pulled Josh to a tree.   
They leaned against a tree, Tyler resting his head on Josh's chest. Josh ran his hand through Tyler's hair and hummed softly. After a while, Tyler had fallen asleep, he breathed slowly and Josh watched him.   
Tyler flinched in his sleep and Josh wrapped his arm around his chest. Tyler sighed quietly and relaxed.   
He was the cutest thing Josh had ever seen and he couldn't express all the love he had for the small boy.   
Josh was so in love that it was almost painful and he teared up. Although he blinked to hold back the tears, they started to stream over his face and drop on Tyler's hair, where they remained sparkling in the setting sun.  
Josh sobbed and Tyler woke up. He glanced at Josh with his soft brown eyes and he sounded concerned when he asked: "Josh, what's wrong?"  
Josh shook his head. "Nothing, Tyler. I just..." he swallowed. "I...I love you."  
Tyler sat up. "Really?" he breathed.  
Josh nodded and wiped the tears away.   
Tyler took a deep breath. "I love you, too, Josh, I love you so much."  
A broken sob escaped Josh's lips. He pressed a kiss on Tyler's hair and held him close to his chest. Tyler wrapped his thin arms around him. They stayed like this for a long time. Tyler's glowing skin got brighter the darker it got.   
Suddenly, Tyler pulled away. "I have an idea. I need your arm."  
Josh furrowed his brows and held his right arm out. Tyler sat down criss-cross next to him and ran his fingers over his skin. Dark lines appeared. Josh gasped and watched how they started to glow in a golden light. When the light faded away, Josh noticed that his arm was covered with beautiful colours. It was a sunset, a blue sky with lots of stars and a tree.  
Josh stared at it. "It's beautiful, Tyler." he whispered. Tyler smiled and pointed at the tree. "That's the forest, it symbolizes me and my home." He pointed at the sunset and then at the sky part. "The sunset is a reminder when we meet and the sky..." he looked at the now dark sky and pointed at the stars. "...the sky on your skin is the sky and all the stars we see at night."  
Josh ran his hand over the colors that were now under his skin. It was like a beautiful tattoo sleeve and Josh loved it.  
"I wish I could give you something in return, Tyler." he said sadly.  
Tyler looked at him with big eyes. "You already give me more than I could ask for. I was always lonely, you know, and I love it when you're around."  
Josh sighed deeply.   
Tyler hummed softly and Josh looked at him. "Sing for me, please."  
Tyler scratched his chin with his finger and pondered for a moment. Then, he started to sing and Josh's heart melted when he heard Tyler's voice. He glanced at the boy and he couldn't tear his gaze off his glowing skin, his deep brown eyes and his full, soft lips. And just when Tyler finished his song, Josh pulled him close and pressed his lips on Tyler's. The boy was surprised, but then he melted into the kiss, running his hands through Josh's pink hair and kissing him breathless.  
When Josh pulled away, he cupped Tyler's face with his hands and he knew he would never forget the look of pure joy mixed with love on the boy's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this is the most fluff I've ever written.   
> But I promised some angst in this fic, so be prepared for the next chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

"Josh. Josh! Are you even listening?" Sam waved his hand in front of Josh's face.  
Josh blinked. "Huh?"  
Sam laughed. "You didn't listen, did you?"  
Josh scratched his head. "Uh, no, sorry." he said.  
"You know what? I dragged you in this bar and you have the biggest smile on your face, although the things I say aren't that great and you hate this bar. What are you thinking about? Are you in love?" Sam asked.  
Josh blushed. "Why do you think I'm in love? Maybe I'm just happy."  
"Dude, this smile looks almost creepy. And I see how your eyes shine when you think about this mysterious person. So, who is it?"  
"It's a boy." Josh mumbled. "His name's Tyler."  
"A boy." Sam clicked with his tongue. "Dude, Spencer won't be happy to hear that."  
"I don't care about Spencer. If y'all don't accept me, you can fuck off." Josh snapped.  
"Woah, Josh, calm down." Sam raised his hands in defense. "I never said something like that. I'm okay with it and you know that. I'm your friend, and it won't change just because you have a boyfriend."  
"Okay." Josh nodded shortly.  
"So, tell me more about him."  
"No, I...I just want to wait until I know if it is really a thing between us, ya know?" Josh stuttered.  
"Oh, come on. Please." Sam pressed. Josh sighed heavily.  
"He's so cute. He loves flowers and when he sings..." Josh didn't notice the big smile he had on his lips. "He's very shy, but he trusts me. And he's a really good kisser."  
Sam laughed. "He must be incredible, I've never seen you so happy before. When can I meet him?"  
Josh hesitated. "I don't know... we need more time."  
"Well, you have a boyfriend, this calls for a toast." Sam said and ordered some liquor that burned Josh's throat. He grimaced when he tasted the alcohol. He didn't like drinking that much and wasn't used to "the real stuff" as Spencer liked to call it.  
"How old is he?" Sam asked.  
Josh blinked. "I...I don't know. Around my age I guess."  
"What does he look like?"  
"He has brown hair and brown, doe eyes and I love the way he glows in the dark..."  
"He glows!?" Sam repeated and cocked an eyebrow. "What?"  
Josh nearly choked on his spit. "I...I don't... I just..." he stammered.  
Sam crossed his arms. "What are you talking about?"  
Josh bit his lip. "His skin...it...uh...glows in the dark." he said quietly.  
The other shook his head in confusion. "What the hell? Why is he glowing?"  
Josh took a deep breath. "Promise you won't tell anyone, okay? I explain it, but only if you keep this information to yourself."  
Sam nodded. "I promise."  
"Okay." Josh leaned closer to his friend. "Tyler... he's not human. He's a fairy, a forest fairy." he whispered.  
Sam laughed. "Are you kidding me?"  
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Josh said hurt.  
Sam turned serious when he saw Josh's face expression. "Wait. You really think I would believe you!? Are you drunk?"  
"No." Josh sighed. "I'm not drunk and I'm not crazy. It's true, he's a fairy."  
Sam stared at him. "You're serious, right?"  
Josh nodded. "Yes. Believe it or not, it's true."  
Sam looked at him, a mix of confusion and disbelief written on his face. "I...I don't..."  
Josh got an idea. "Look. He made this." He slipped out of his leather jacket and showed Sam the tattoo. His friend stared at it, jaw nearly on the floor.  
Josh started to explain how he met Tyler, how he fell in love with the boy and how they kissed the first time, while Sam listened wide-eyed, always glancing at the tattoo. After Josh finished his monologue, Sam swallowed hardly.  
"Well... it sounds unbelievable, but I guess it's true..."  
Josh sighed in relief. "You believe me?"  
Sam nodded slowly. "Yes. I know you'd never lie to me." He pointed at Josh's arm. "And this... looks really cool."  
Josh grinned. "Yeah, it looks sick, right?" He put his jacket back on and finished his drink. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"  
Sam shook his head. "No, of course not."  
"Thanks man." Josh replied and placed some money on the table. "I need to go, I told Tyler I would meet him later that night and I'm already late. See ya." He waved at Sam and walked to the exit, leaving his very confused friend behind.


	8. Chapter 8

Three days later. Josh was on his way to the forest. Work had been terrible, Josh had been too tired to stay awake and his boss had yelled at him for sleeping. Josh had apologized multiple times and his boss gave him a warning instead of firing him.

The reason why Josh had been so tired was easy. He hadn't slept the night after his talk to Sam, he was too afraid he would tell someone about Tyler. Josh had been stupid to tell him and he cursed himself for it. Sure, Sam was his friend, but what if he told it anyway?

Josh had seen enough movies about aliens and other creatures, captured by the government and experimented with. What if some FBI agents took Tyler away from him?

Josh hadn't told Tyler about Sam, he didn't want to scare the boy. And he probably had no reason to be worried, right?

Josh shook his head as if he could rid of this thoughts and entered the clearing. He had been here so often and still his stomach was filled with butterflies when he walked through the forest. Every day, he was excited to see Tyler, his Tyler and he couldn't wait to kiss him again.

He said Tyler's name out loud and the fairy fell from the sky into Josh's arms. Josh caught him and kissed him. Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh's waist and kissed back.

As soon as Josh held the boy in his arms, all his worries disappeared and he was happy. He didn't think about his job, or Sam, he just thought about Tyler, the way his skin was glowing, the way he was smiling and giggling when Josh poked his side and the way his flower kimono was wrapped around his bare torso.

Josh was so in love with him.

He wanted to kiss Tyler again, but the fairy pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Josh asked.

"Did you bring someone along?" Tyler asked and furrowed his brows slightly.

Josh shook his head. "No, I'm alone, as always, why?"

"I just thought…" Tyler trailed off and shook his head. "Nevermind."

They started to kiss again and Josh ran his hands up and down Tyler's back.

"I love you." He breathed and Tyler buried his head in the crook of his boyfriend's neck. "I know. I love you too."

After a few minutes, they sat down under Tyler's favorite tree.

"I wish you would leave the forest." Josh said and intertwined their fingers.

"Why?" Tyler asked.

"Well, I want to sleep next to you in my bed, wake up with you, take you out for dinner. Just visiting you is not enough sometimes." Josh answered.

"Do you think the forest is boring? Am I not entertaining enough?" Tyler said and pulled his hand away.

Josh rolled his eyes. "No, and you know that. I just want a real boyfriend."

"And me? Am I no real boyfriend?" Tyler asked hurt.

"Oh, come on. I just mean I want someone to build a house with, to live with." Josh snapped.

Tyler stood up and raised his voice. "So why don't you go and find yourself a _real_ boyfriend?"

"You know I didn't mean it that way." Josh said angrily.

"Well, the forest is my home!" Tyler shot back. "And you don't have to pretend to love me if I'm not good enough!"

Josh grit his teeth. "Stop talking like that and calm down. I wouldn't be here if I wouldn't want to take this burden."

"Burden?" Tyler's voice cracked. He stumbled backwards. "You know what, Josh? I thought you loved me. But it seems like I'm just a _burden_ to you, so you can go and find yourself someone to grow old with. I don't want to hold you back."

Josh shook his head. "Ty, listen to me, I-"

"No." Tyler interrupted him. He ignored the hot tears that were streaming down his face. "We're done."

Josh opened his mouth to protest, but he only caught a glimpse of Tyler's painful expression before vanished.

Tyler was gone. Josh was alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Josh stared at the screen of his computer at work. Three hours left to the end of his shift. Josh only wanted to go home.

He felt awful, his mind kept replaying his argument with Tyler and it broke Josh's heart when he remembered how much he hurt Tyler. It hadn't been his intention to say so terrible things, it just slipped.

Whenever Josh was alone at home, eating dinner, watching tv or falling asleep in his bed, he wished Tyler would be by his side. Sure, he could visit Tyler around sunset and stayed with him as long as he could, but he was exhausted from work and fell asleep next to Tyler countless times. Tyler was never angry about that, he didn't complain that Josh didn't listen to him when he told a story or fell asleep mid-sentence.

Tyler was an angel, he was always so soft and understanding and Josh felt incredibly bad. Tyler had not returned after their fight, so Josh had walked home, trying to hold back the tears. His heart had been aching and he knew the only solution was to apologize to Tyler.

He couldn't wait for his shift to be over. Josh tapped nervously against the keyboard and deleted the nonsense that had appeared on the screen with a loud sigh. His colleague looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"'S nothing." Josh mumbled and returned to writing down stupid numbers.

It seemed like an eternity until he could go home. Josh almost ran to his car, opened the door and hopped in. He started the engine, but then, he remained sitting and staring out of the windshield. Slowly, he unbuckled and stepped out of the car.

Josh cursed when he saw that someone had cut the tires. He grabbed his phone and dialed Fred's number. His friend owned a car repair shop.

Fred answered the phone after a few seconds.

"Hey, Josh, what's up?"

Josh sighed. "Some dipcrap cut the tires of my car. I'm stuck at work. Could you send a tow truck to pick my car up and bring it to your auto service?"

"Oh man, that sucks." Fred answered. "But, yeah, sure. Just wait for it, okay?"

"Thanks, man. I owe you one." Josh said.

"No problem, man. That's my job."

Josh ended the call with a thanks and leaned against his car with a sigh. Of course this had to happen today. He glanced at his watch. He wouldn't reach the clearing before sunset.

The tow truck came half an hour later and Josh helped the driver to put the car securely on the truck.

"Do you need a ride to Fred's shop?" the driver of the truck asked.

Josh shook his head. "No, I need to go the other direction. I will take the bus."

The driver shrugged and drove off. Josh walked to the next bus station. He sighed deeply when he saw he missed the bus and that he had to wait nearly an hour for the next one. A taxi cab was too expensive, so Josh decided to walk home. It was only a few miles, but there was no way to reach the clearing in time.

 

 

It was nearly two hours after sunset when Josh reached the clearing. He still wore his suit, tie loose around his neck. He stopped in the middle of the clearing and rubbed his face.

"Tyler? Can you hear me?"

Nothing happened, the clearing remained silent. Josh tried again.

"Tyler? I need to talk to you."

Josh bit his lip. "Tyler, please, I want to apologize. I'm sorry, please, just talk to me."

He teared up. "Tyler, I know you're mad at me, but I'm so, so sorry, please just come back to me."

The first tear started to drop down on the grass and more tears started to fall.

"T-Tyler, please, I l-love you." Josh whispered. "I need you. P-please, forgive me."

Tyler didn't show up and Josh began to sob. He fell on his knees and curled himself up, body shaken by sobs and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"P-please just come back to m-me…Tyler…"

But Josh was alone in the forest, in the dark, crying and trying to understand that he had lost his love.


	10. Chapter 10

When Josh woke up the next day, he noticed he had been crying in his sleep. He couldn't remember why, but then it hit him.

He had fucked up. He'd probably never see Tyler again. Josh wiped over his wet cheeks with his fingers and got out of bed. He walked to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. His eyes were red and puffy, he was pale and had dark bags under his eyes. He looked terrible. Josh splashed some cold water into his face, a poor attempt to look more awake. He glanced at the clock and gasped when he noticed he was over one hour late for work.

Josh turned and ran to his bedroom, only to stop halfway. It was Saturday.

He decided to walk to the kitchen and get some breakfast. He poured some milk into a bowl and grabbed his favorite cereal, but he wasn't hungry.

Josh ate slowly, chewing without tasting anything. It was sunny outside, but with the thought of Tyler his whole world seemed grey and lonely.

After breakfast, Josh decided to go for a run to get a clear head. He grabbed his keys and left the house.

An hour later he returned, sweaty and out of breath, but still feeling heartbroken and empty. He took a shower and then walked to the living room, where he sat down on the couch with a sigh and decided to watch some Netflix. Maybe it helped him forget Tyler.

It was already afternoon when Josh noticed something was off. He didn't know what it was, he just got an uneasy feeling. Josh was worried and he decided to go to the clearing and try to find Tyler one last time.

The way seemed longer than usual. The sun had disappeared behind the dark clouds and Josh was sure it was going to rain soon. He walked through the forest. It was very quiet, normally he heard some birds or insects, but the only noise was the wind. Josh noticed he grew more worried the closer he came to the clearing. He had the feeling like something was going to happen tonight, like something terrible was already happening right now, something he didn't know about.

Josh took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He had always felt safe in the forest, but now it seemed cold and threatening.

Finally, he reached the clearing and stopped between the trees. He tried to ignore the disappointment he felt when Tyler was nowhere to be seen.

Josh turned his head slowly and looked around. He was alone. He whispered Tyler's name, but nothing happened.

Josh cleared his throat. "Tyler!" he shouted.

The wind increased and made Josh's pink hair messy, but he didn't care. He started to shout Tyler's name again, tears filling his eyes, and he tried to get rid of that terrible feeling he had. It felt like something was squeezing his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

A broken sob escaped Josh's lips. "Come back, Tyler, please. I love you." he said quietly, but his voice shook so much it was hard to understand his words. It didn't matter, though, because Tyler was gone and Josh was alone.

The wind was strong and nearly knocked him off his feet. It was loud, the wind caught Josh's words and carried them away. The trees were waving in the storm, leaves were flying around and Josh got scared. Within a few minutes, the wind had grown to a dangerous storm. He saw lightning and only a few seconds later, Josh heard the thunder. It was dangerously close.

Josh knew he should leave the forest and get home as soon as possible, but he couldn't. He was frozen, unable to move.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting in his right arm. Josh stared at the tattoo Tyler had made a week ago. All the colors faded away slowly, leaving a black and white tattoo behind. Josh swallowed hardly. What was happening? His arms burned and he grit his teeth not to scream when black drops appeared on his skin. It looked like black ink. The drops turned into lines and streamed down his arms. Josh tried to wipe them away, but they were under his skin and when he touched his arm, he cried out in pain.

The lines followed the lines of the tree and turned it black. It changed until it looked dark and dead. Josh shivered. For a second, the black ink looked like dark, red blood, but when he blinked, the red was gone and only the black was left.

Slowly, the pain faded away. Josh stared at his arm. He couldn't believe what happened. Then, he noticed the wind was gone and the sun was shining through the clouds. Josh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt dizzy, weak and incredible tired. He turned and left the clearing slowly, stumbling more than once.

As soon as Josh reached his apartment, he went to bed and fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The color on Josh' arm didn't return. The tattoo remained grey, the tree black and dead. It worried Josh, because he didn't know what it meant.

Was it a sign that the love between Tyler and him was dead?

Maybe Tyler didn't love him, but Josh did, with all his heart. He loved Tyler, he had been the joy in his boring and sad life and now he was gone and he had taken all the light with him. Josh's heart ached whenever he thought about Tyler. He still loved the fairy, even if he hadn't seen him since three days.

But what if the meaning of all color disappearing on his arm was something else? Josh could feel his heart stop beating for a second when he thought about it. What if it was a sign that something happened to Tyler? What if he was hurt? What if he was…dead?

Maybe Tyler was mad at him for yelling at him, but it wasn't a reason to disappear completely. He was sure Tyler would have talked to him, at least listened to his apologies.

Suddenly, Josh was sure something bad happened to Tyler. He probably needed his help and Josh didn't even know where he was.

Josh laid down on the couch in his living room, crossing his arms over his head. He tried to think what could have happened to Tyler. His phone rang in his pocket and startled Josh. He sat up and answered the call.

"Hey, it's Sam, how are you?"

Josh rubbed his temples. "Not so good." He hesitated, but maybe Sam could help him finding Tyler. "Tyler is gone. I don't know where he is and I think he needs my help."

Sam didn't answer for a few seconds and his voice was shaking slightly when he asked: "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure something bad happened to him." Josh sighed.

"And you have no idea where he could be?" Sam asked.

"No. I don't know where I could look for him. He's not in the forest."

"Fuck." Sam cursed quietly. "That sucks."

"Yeah." Josh agreed. "You have no idea how worried I am. I'm scared that he's hurt or something. But this whole week has been terrible. I had an argument with Ty a few days ago and some asshole cute the tires of my car. And now Tyler disappeared."

Sam sucked in a breath. "Someone cut the tires? Why?"

"I don't know. I usually meet Tyler right after work, but because of that I was late and he wasn't there. It was the day after our argument and I haven't seen him since then." Josh bit his lip. "I just want to know he's safe."

"Uh, Josh, I need to go now." Sam said quickly. "I'm in a hurry. I, uh, have some things to do, so, uh, I will call you later, okay?"

"But, Sam, I-" Josh said but Sam cut him off by saying a quick goodbye and ending the call. Josh stared at the phone in his hands. What the hell was that?

 

 

It was already afternoon when Josh heard a knock at the door. His doorbell was broken, but Josh didn't have the time to fix it. He grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head and opened the second it knocked again. Sam stood in front of the door, hand still raised. Josh was a little bit surprised by his visit, but opened the door and gestured him to come in. Sam followed him inside, refused every drink Josh offered him and sat down on the couch, placing his hands in his lap and staring at the floor.

Josh remained standing in the middle of the room.

"Sam? Is everything alright?" he asked softly.

His friend shook his head and glanced up. "There's something I have to tell you…" he mumbled and took a deep breath.

"A few days ago, I went out with Spencer to a club. We had fun and drank a lot and I…I was drunk and…" he looked up and met Josh's gaze. Tears were sparkling in his eyes. "I told him about Tyler."

Josh stared at him. "What?!"

"I'm sorry, Josh, I really am." Sam said shakily. "I know I promised to keep my mouth shut, but I fucked up."

Josh felt anger in his chest. "Are you fucking serious? I trusted you! I thought you were my friend!" he yelled.

Sam flinched. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to…"

Josh took a deep breath. "What did you tell him?"

"E-everything." Sam stammered. "I told him everything. He wanted to know what he is, where he is, if he's your boyfriend. He was very interested. Especially in the last part." he added quietly.

Josh buried his head in his hands. He knew Spencer and he knew Spencer wouldn't care if he hurt the small boy. He loved to play with someone who was weaker than him. He probably had hurt him already. What if Tyler was locked in a room, scared and alone?

"Fuck you." Josh spat and walked to the door.

Sam jumped up. "Josh, where are you going?"

Josh turned in the door. "To Spencer's house. I swear to god, Sam, if he hurt Tyler…" he said angrily and slammed the door, leaving his shivering friend behind.


	12. Chapter 12

Josh jogged to his car. He hoped Tyler wasn't at Spencer's, but at the same time he hoped he was. It was his only chance to find Tyler. Josh turned the ignition and pulled out of the driveway. It was a twenty minute drive to Spencer's home and Josh drove way too fast. He knew it was dangerous and he could lose his driver's license if he got pulled over by the police, but he didn't care. He just wanted to make sure Tyler was safe.

Josh felt stupid for trusting Sam. He was a nice guy, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Josh didn't know why he was so sure that Tyler was taken by Spencer, maybe it was because he had known Spencer for a while. He knew the man loved to feel powerful.

Josh had seen him acting this way. One time, some stupid teenagers kicked Spencer's car. They didn't cause any damage, but Spencer was furious. He grabbed the smallest of them by the neck and threw him to the ground. The others ran away, but Spencer didn't care about them. He towered over the boy and Josh would never forget the way his eyes shone when the boy begged him not to hurt him. The boy had been terrified, Spencer was a tall and quite muscular guy, and Josh saw that he enjoyed scaring the kid. He threatened to break every single bone in his body and the boy had whimpered in fear of getting hurt.

Josh stepped in and the boy ran away as fast as he could. Spencer yelled at him to fuck off, but when Josh told him to shut up and calm down, he pushed him forcefully. Josh knew Spencer hated him, he just didn't show it. He loved to humiliate Josh in front of others and Josh avoided him as much as he could. It was difficult, though, because Spencer was friends with Sam, Jasper and Fred.

Josh had never been the type to start a fight, but he remembered how often he wanted to punch Spencer in the face.

Josh took a deep breath to calm down. He never noticed how much he hated the other, he just ignored his rude behavior, but now Josh asked himself why he hang out with the guy. Spencer was an asshole.

But maybe Tyler was fine and dandy and just didn't want to talk to Josh anymore and Spencer had nothing to do with it?

There was only one way to find out. Josh parked his car and walked to Spencer's house. The sun was already setting and it was getting dark. Spencer had a house all by himself, he got it from his parents when he moved out to go to college. Around the garden was a fence. Josh pondered for a moment. He could ring or try to sneak in.

Josh decided to be careful and not to ring. He climbed over the fence and ran quickly to the house. Spencer seemed to be at home, Josh could see that a few rooms were illuminated. He sneaked to a window and peeked over the windowsill and looked inside.

He needed a few seconds to see what was happening inside. It was the living room, Josh saw the couch and two armchairs. On the coffee table were a few bottles of alcohol. Josh spotted Jasper on the couch, next to a man. Another man was sitting in an armchair. A big, dark Doberman laid on the floor, his head on his paws. It was Spencer's dog. Finally, Josh spotted Spencer standing in the middle of the room, a beer bottle in his hand and talking loudly, although Josh couldn't hear a word. The other men laughed. They seemed drunk.

Spencer was pointing at something on the floor, but Josh couldn't see what it was. He decided to look through the other window, maybe he would see more.

Carefully, Josh crawled to the second window and looked inside. Spencer waved with his arm and some beer spilled on his pants. He didn't seem to care and set his beer down on a shelf. Then, he bent down and grabbed something. He pulled another, smaller person on their feet and Josh gasped when he saw the person's face.

Tyler's eyes were wide with fear. He was terrified. Josh felt sick when he saw the scratches and bruises on Tyler's face. The small boy was shaking violently. He wasn't glowing, his face was pale and he seemed _broken_. Spencer pulled his hair and Tyler teared up. The fairy tried to push him away, but Spencer slapped him. Tyler fell on his knees, arms raised to protect his face. Spencer said something and Tyler flinched.

Josh wanted to run inside and kill Spencer. He was surprised by the hate he felt towards the man. He usually couldn't hurt a fly, but when Josh saw how scared Tyler was, he just wanted to protect the boy at all costs.

Josh wondered why Tyler didn't vanish. He was a fairy, he had magic skills, why didn't he use them? But then Josh remembered that Tyler told him once that his powers didn't work outside the forest

Tyler stood up shakily, but Spencer pushed him. Tyler fell on the coffee table and the glass shattered into million pieces. Spencer laughed, when the fairy tried to get up. Blood was running down his hands, the glass left deep cuts in his palms.

Josh had to help Tyler. He had to go inside. But how? Spencer wouldn't allow him to enter the house. Josh walked quickly around the house, but every window was closed. He cursed under his breath and returned to the spot where he could look into the living room.

He froze when he saw Tyler kneeling in the living room, Spencer towering above him and pressing a gun against his temple. Tyler was crying, big tears were dropping down his chin.

Spencer would kill Tyler. He would kill him and there was nothing that Josh could do. Right when Josh thought Spencer would pull the trigger, the man laughed and pulled Tyler on his feet. He pushed him to a door. Josh watched them disappear behind the door. He knew the room, it was the basement. After a few minutes, Spencer returned and locked the door.

Josh sighed in relief. Tyler was alive and maybe he could help him to get out of the basement. Josh sneaked to the back of the house. Right above the ground was a barred tiny window. The glass was broken and Josh could hear crying. He lied down on his stomach and tried to look through it. Hearing Tyler cry broke Josh's heart.

He cleared his throat. "Tyler?" he whispered.

The crying stopped abruptly. "Josh? Is that you?" Tyler asked quietly.

"Yes." Josh smiled.

Tyler took a few steps back until he could see Josh's face. His face was wet and his eyes were puffy, but he smiled when he saw Josh.

"Josh! I thought…" he swallowed. "I thought you'd hate me…I thought I would die..."

Josh shook his head. "I love you Tyler. I will help you to get out of here. They're not gonna hurt you anymore, I promise."

Tyler wiped his tears away but they kept running down his face. "I'm s-so glad you're h-here. I'm so s-scared."

Josh frowned. "I will kill Spencer."

"Y-you k-know him?" Tyler hiccupped.

Josh nodded. "Yeah…I'm sorry, I told Sam about you and he told Spencer…it's all my fault, I'm so sorry."

Tyler looked at the ground. "They said they'd k-kill me, Josh. They said y-you'd hate me, that you had another b-boyfriend now." he said shakily.

"That's not true." Josh growled. "I was worried about you. I looked everywhere for you."

Tyler looked up. "Josh, please, get me out of here." he begged.

"I will." Josh promised. "I just need to figure out how. Spencer has a gun and I'm sure he would hurt us without hesitation."

Tyler flinched. "I don't want you to get hurt." he whispered.

"I'll be careful." Josh said. "I'm gonna get in there now. I love you."

Tyler sniffed. "I love you too, Josh. Be careful, please!"


	13. Chapter 13

Attack is the best form of defense, Josh thought. And the best way to protect Tyler from Spencer was to walk inside and get him out of there as soon as possible.

He tried not to think about Spencer or the gun. He could not be scared. He had to be strong for Tyler.

Josh took a deep breath and walked to front door and rang. Spencer opened the door. Josh sighed in relief when he didn't have the gun in his hand.

"Josh…what are you doing here?" Spencer asked dumbfounded. He slurred.

Josh pushed him aside with his shoulder and walked in. He walked through the living room to the basement and grabbed the door handle. He pulled, but the door was locked.

Josh heard the front door slam. He turned when Spencer rushed into the living room.

"Where's the key?" Josh asked.

Spencer walked to him and grabbed his throat. He slammed Josh against the door. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I'm here to get Tyler." Josh answered angrily. "Now open the fucking door."

Spencer smirked. "Ah, Tyler, of course. You love him, right?"

Josh stared at him. He could smell the alcohol in Spencer's breath. "It worked pretty well. Cutting the tires was a good idea. Sam's pretty smart."

"Sam?" Josh whispered.

Spencer laughed. "Yeah, he told us about Tyler."

"He said it was on accident." Josh whispered.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Josh, you're so dumb. You always trust the wrong people."

"Spencer's right."

Josh stared at Sam, who stood in the living room, an amused expression on his face. "You believed every word, didn't you? You're so pathetic."

"Sam? What are you doing here?" Josh asked in shock.

The other grinned. "I followed you to Spencer's house. When you told me about the little fairy, I couldn't believe it. I followed you to the forest, I watched you. I saw how you argued and I drove to Spencer and told him everything."

"But…why?"

Sam crossed his arms. "We wanted to have him. I'm pretty sure some people would pay much money to have a fairy. We could make a deal with the government, too, I think they'd be interested."

"But he's human! You can't just _sell_ him!" Josh shouted. "Are you fucking insane? I trusted you, Sam! I thought you were my friend!"

"Well, you were wrong." Sam said coldly and turned away from Josh to pour himself a drink.

"We cut the tires of your car." Spencer added with a sly smile. "And then we drove to the clearing. He was waiting for you, you know? He was scared when he saw us, but we told him we were your friends. He said he wanted to apologize to you. I told him you had a new boyfriend." Spencer's eyes glistered. "He cried. It was pathetic. He was so sad, that _his Joshie was gone."_ he said in a mocking voice. "I grabbed him and knocked him out. We drove to my house and locked him in my basement. He begged us to let him go. It was so much fun to see him crying and sobbing. I loved the way he screamed when I hit him."

Josh felt tears welling up in his eyes. Tyler didn't deserve this. He tried to punch Spencer, but the man was too strong. Josh gasped for breath when Spencer squeezed his throat. The other men laughed. "You can't help him, Josh. You should forget him."

"Then why did you tell me that you told Spencer, Sam?" Josh whispered.

Sam grinned. "Just for fun. It was entertaining to see you fail."

Josh tried to breathe, he pulled at Spencer's wrist, but the man was only grinning and gripping stronger. Black spots appeared at the edge of Josh's vision. His view became blurry and he lost consciousness. When Spencer let go of his throat, Josh collapsed and his head hit the floor.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait but I hope this long chapter can make it up for it. Enjoy!

Josh blinked slowly. A stabbing pain shot through his head. His throat was sore and he felt tired. Josh noticed he was lying on the floor. He could see shattered glass next to him. There were some darker spots on the carpet. Josh tried to focus his gaze and realized it was blood. He saw a gun a few feet away on the floor.

He noticed someone was talking loudly, he heard laughter, but the voices switched between loud and quiet and he couldn't understand what they were talking about. Josh squeezed his eyes shut. He felt sick.

He heard footsteps and suddenly, Josh remembered where he was. He was at Spencer's. Something was bothering him about the fact that he was lying on the floor. Did he drink too much and pass out? But why was there blood on the floor?

There had been something important. Something was off and Josh needed to remember what it was. Why had he gone to Spencer's house?

Josh swallowed and his throat hurt when he did it. His head was killing him. Josh tried to listen to the voices. It was Spencer who was talking.

"Damn, I tot'lly kno-… knocked him out!" he said loudly. "Have you seen 'is face?" He was drunk.

Josh heard someone laughing. He opened his eyes slowly. Spencer was standing in the middle of the room, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Sam was standing next to him. He had a smirk on his face. Josh saw a few other guys on the couch. They seemed like they had passed out a long time ago.

He decided to sit up, maybe it would clear his mind.

Josh groaned when he moved. His body was reacting too slow when he supported his weight with his arms. He felt dizzy and sick.

Suddenly, he caught Spencer's gaze. The man stumbled into his direction, looking surprised.

"Joshie's awake…" he slurred and spilled some whiskey on the carpet. He didn't seem to care and knelt down next to Josh, grabbing his shoulder roughly. "Thought I kill…killed ya." he whispered and Josh grimaced when the smell of alcohol and cigarettes hit his nostrils. He turned his face to the side and stared at the blood. Whose blood was this?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Josh's tired brain. He froze. He remembered everything that happened.

With an angry growl, Josh pushed Spencer aside and stood up. He stumbled a bit, but stared at Sam who was watching him with a smirk.

"You fucking-" Josh growled and walked towards the man, but a hand grabbed his ankle and pulled Josh to the floor. Josh's knees hit the floor. He turned and pushed Spencer aside. The man gasped and tried to throw a punch in his direction, but he was too drunk to aim properly. Josh avoided his fist, grabbed his arm and twisted it.

Spencer cried out and tried to crawl away from Josh, but the pink-haired tightened his grip. He twisted it until he heard a loud snap. Spencer screamed at the top of his lungs. He grabbed the whiskey glass that was laying on the floor with his fingertips and threw it on Josh. The glass hit Josh's shoulder and fell down on the floor. For a second, Josh loosened his grip and the man crawled away, holding his injured arm and whimpering. Josh stood up, ready to attack him again, but the man yelled something and Josh only heard a loud bark before he felt a stabbing pain in his leg. He screamed and tried to grab the Doberman's collar, but the dog kept on trying to rip Josh's leg apart. The creature shook its head and Josh screamed in pain. He grabbed the dog's neck and tried to pull him away. It didn't work, so Josh hit its head. Finally, the dog let go and growled deeply, but didn't attack him again. Josh stumbled backwards, feeling like his leg was ripped apart and sobbing from the pain. Blood was dripping down his leg and soaking through his pants.

Sam, who had watched the scene motionless, grinned at him. Josh gritted his teeth. He noticed Spencer, who tried to stand up. Within a second, Josh was next to him and knocked him out with a punch into his face. The man's head tilted to the side.

Josh turned when he heard laughter. Sam was standing in the middle of the room, laughing his ass off. Josh felt adrenaline rushing through his veins. He didn't feel the pain in his leg. All he felt was the hate he felt towards the guy who was standing in the living room, watching the fight and enjoying it.

Sam's laughter faded slowly. He grinned at Josh. "Well done, Josh. I didn't know you were such a good fighter. It's a shame it won't help your pathetic boyfriend."

Josh saw red. He jumped and pulled Sam to the ground. The man hissed when Josh pinned him down. "Aw, do you really think you can win this fight?" he said slowly. Josh raised his fist to punch him, but Sam blocked his attack. Josh was strong, but Sam was taller and stronger than him. The man pushed him off with ease, pinning Josh's hands down next to his head.

"I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to kill him. Slowly." Sam whispered. "I'm going to make him scream and beg for me to stop. But I will kill him slowly, until he's nothing more than a dirty little faggot under my hands."

Josh collected salvia in his mouth and spat at him. The expression in Sam's face turned from amusement to anger. He rammed his knee down on Josh's injured leg. The boy screamed loudly. Sam grinned and did it again.

Tears welled up in Josh's eyes. He gasped for breath. Sam chuckled. "Who's winning now?" he asked.

Josh blinked his tears away. "Not you." he whispered. He took a deep breath and kicked Sam into his balls. The other man gasped. Josh pushed him off and knelt over Sam. He looked down at the man who once was his best friend. He saw Tyler's face in front of him, he heard his screams and his crying, he remembered how broken the boy was and the only thing Josh could think about was revenge. He wanted Sam to pay for what he did. 

Josh hit Sam's jaw, his nose, his eye. He couldn't think, he could only punch him again and again. Sam tried to defend himself, but soon his attempts grew weaker. Blood was running down Sam's chin, his lip was split, the beginnings of black bruises covered his face. Josh was panting by the time Sam stopped defending himself.

"Do you really…think…this is over?" Sam whispered, the pain in his voice obvious. Josh stared at him.

A grin spread on Sam's face, showing his bloody teeth. The man laughed deeply, coughing on the blood. "You can't kill me, Josh. I know it. You can't. You're not strong enough."

With a low growl, Josh punched him as hard as he could. Sam groaned, his eyes rolled back into his skull and his body got limp.

Josh stood up slowly, staring at the man to his feet. He deserved it.

He hobbled to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. He grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around his leg. His knuckles were bleeding and the skin was split, but he didn't care. He just wanted to see Tyler.

He went back to the living room, standing there for a moment, staring at the blood on the floor, the passed out men. The dog was sitting between them and panting. Josh ignored the dog and grabbed the door handle, but the door was still locked.

With a sigh, Josh picked the gun up and released the safety. He shot at the lock. He turned, but the other men seemed too drunk to wake up. They didn't move. Josh grabbed the gun with his right hand and opened the door with his right.

He walked the stairs down slowly. Finally, he reached the door to the room where Tyler was locked in. The key was in the lock and Josh turned it. He opened the door and saw Tyler sitting on the floor, hugging his legs and sobbing. He looked up when Josh entered the room and stared at him wide-eyed. Then, he jumped up and hugged him. Josh wrapped his arm around the thin boy. Tyler buried his head in the crock of Josh's neck. Josh felt his tears on his skin. Tyler was trembling violently.

"I'm okay, Ty. I'm okay. You're safe." he said tiredly.

"I-I thought you were s-shot." Tyler sobbed. "I was so scared."

"Nobody was shot." Josh reassured him and rubbed his back.

"I'm so glad you're here." Tyler whispered. He took a step back and stared at Josh. "What happened to your leg?"

"Spencer's dog." Josh said and flinched when he felt the pain in his muscle. He grabbed Tyler's hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Tyler helped Josh to walk up the stairs. He froze when he looked at the living room. "What happened to them?" he asked in shock and pointed at Sam's bloody face and Spencer's limp body.

Josh ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It doesn't matter."

Tyler looked at his bleeding knuckles, then back at the men.

"It's not over." Josh said and swallowed hardly. "They'll try to find you."

Tyler looked at him. He saw the hopelessness in his boyfriend's eyes. Josh looked sadly at him and loaded the gun. "There's only one way to finish this."

He hobbled over to Sam and pointed the gun at him.

"Josh! What are you doing?" Tyler gasped.

"Bringing this to an end." Josh said bitterly.

"You…you can't just shoot him!" Tyler whispered.

Josh frowned. "He deserves it."

"No." Tyler stepped next to Josh and grabbed his hand. "You're not like them, Josh. You're better."

Josh looked up and Tyler saw the tears in his eyes. "I won't let it happen again, Tyler. I can't let them hurt you again."

Tyler placed a hand on the gun and placed it on the floor. "There's a way, Josh." he said softly. "You know, there was one thing I didn't realize. I told you my powers didn't work outside the forest." He grabbed Josh's hands and pressed soft kisses on his knuckles. "But I don't need the forest. You're my forest."

Josh stared at the colors that returned to his tattoo with every kiss.

"I only need you, Josh." Tyler whispered.

Josh's hands were shaking when he looked in Tyler's doe eyes that were filled with nothing but love. "What are you going to do?"

Tyler smiled. "Using my powers. Make them forget."

He knelt down next to Sam and touched his shoulder. Sam sighed deeply and his body relaxed. Tyler repeated his actions, walking through the room and making everyone in it forget. Then, he walked to Josh and placed a kiss on his lips. "They won't remember me, or you. They'll forget what happened." he whispered. "We're safe."

Josh bit his lip. "It's all my fault, Ty. I told Sam about you. I knew it was dangerous, but I did it anyway. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not." Tyler shook his head.

"It is." Josh said bitterly. "I don't deserve you."

Tyler lifted his chin with his finger and looked him in the eyes. "That's not true, Josh."

Josh realized that he was crying. "Do you love me, Tyler?" he asked shakily.

Tyler nodded, wiping the tears away, but they kept running down Josh's cheeks. "I love you, Josh. I love you so much, I'd do anything for you."

"Then make me forget." Josh whispered.

Tyler stared at him.

"Make me forget." Josh repeated and took a shaky breath. "It was all my fault. What if it happens again? I can't risk that. You're safe without me. Make me forget about you."

"I can't do that." Tyler whispered. "I can't lose you, Josh. I love you."

Josh tried to blink his tears away. "I love you, too, Tyler. But that's the reason I have to let you go. If something happens to you because of me…I couldn't live with that. I would never be happy again." He took a deep breath and cupped Tyler's face with his hands. "If you really love me, Tyler, then let me go."

Tyler was crying. "But I need you, Josh." he sobbed.

Josh kissed his temple. "Please, Tyler. I beg you."

Tyler closed his eyes. "I love you." he whispered.

Josh rested his forehead against Tyler's. "I love you, too." He kissed Tyler softly, tasting the tears on his lips.

With a broken sob, Tyler opened his eyes. "I will never forget you, Josh. I promise." he whispered and looked into the soft brown eyes he loved so much. His hand was shaking when he raised it and touched Josh's cheek softly. The pink-haired boy closed his eyes and collapsed in Tyler's arms. Tyler sobbed and buried his face in Josh's hair, hot tears streaming down his face.

"I will never forget you, Josh." he sobbed. "I love you. I love you so much."


	15. Chapter 15

Josh woke up in his bed. He sat up and groaned. His whole body was aching. He pushed the blanket aside and walked to the bathroom.

He froze when he looked into the mirror. There was a big bruise on his face. Josh touched it carefully and froze when he saw the dried blood on his knuckles. He looked at his hands. They were injured and it looked like he had punched a wall or something.

He washed his hands carefully, trying not to get soap into the wounds. When he dried his hands off, he realized that his leg was hurting. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

He took his old pair of sweats off that he was wearing and looked at his bandaged leg. He cut the bandage open carefully and looked at the bite marks on his thigh. He ran his finger softly over the marks. It looked like a bite from a dog. The skin was healing and it looked like the wound was more than a week old.

Josh furrowed his brows. He couldn't remember where his injuries came from. He couldn't even tell what happened yesterday. The only thing Josh could remember was that he went to work the last few weeks, but the rest of his memories was gone. He sighed and buried his head in his hands. It seemed like he had been attacked by a dog and he couldn't remember when or where. And his hands looked like he had been in a fight. What if he killed somebody and didn't even know?

Josh wrapped a new bandage around his leg. It didn't seem like he needed to see a doctor. He walked to his bedroom and grabbed a shirt from the closet.

Suddenly, he noticed the colorful tattoo on his arm. He looked at it. He couldn't remember when he decided to get it. It was beautiful, though. Josh shrugged and decided to get something to eat. Maybe a coffee and a big breakfast could clear his mind. He changed into a more decent outfit and left his apartment.

Josh decided to take the car, since he was still hurt and it was raining. Only a few minutes later, he sat at a table, drinking a hot coffee and eating pancakes.

When he took a sip of his coffee, a face flashed through his mind. Brown eyes, brown hair, plump lips. Josh furrowed his brows, but before he could think more about it, the memory was gone. He didn't know a boy who looked like this, but somehow, this guy sparked a feeling in Josh's chest. It felt like…love. Josh bit his lip and closed his eyes. He knew this guy. He had seen him before.

Josh jumped up. He didn't know why, but suddenly, he felt a burning desire to see the boy. He threw some coins on the table, not caring about getting the change and ran to his car. He drove quickly and parked his car at home. He started to walk, not knowing his destination, just walking where it felt right.

He reached a forest, clothes soaked and pink hair sticking to his forehead. Josh had the odd feeling that he had been here often, but he couldn't remember. After a short walk, he reached a clearing.

He froze when he saw a guy sitting on the ground. His shoulders were hunched, his head was buried in his hands and it looked like he was crying. His small body was shaking and Josh could hear him sobbing.

Josh forgot about the rain. He forgot about his wet clothes, his injured leg, he only saw the boy in front of him.

He wanted to walk to him, to hug him and never let go, but Josh couldn't move. His throat was dry, his feet were stuck to the ground and the only thing he could do was to look at the boy on the ground.

Josh was scared. He was scared, because he didn't know what was happening to him, he didn't know why he felt the urge to hold the boy in his arms, he didn't know why the boy was crying in the middle of the forest.

And then, the boy looked up. He looked up and directly into Josh's eyes. His hands dropped to his side. "Josh." he said slowly.

And suddenly, the boy had a name.

Josh swallowed. He opened his mouth and his voice was shaking when he whispered.

"Tyler."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think I've written a fantasy fic before? Let me know what you think?


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